Getting Settled In
If you’ve been wondering why things have beent a little quiet on the blog, my husband and I just moved from Chicagoland to North Carolina, in the Raleigh-Durham area. Our stuff has arrived and we’re slowly getting settled into the new place. However, pretty much our whole lives are still in boxes and bins.
I have to say that I really appreciate being able to telecommute, both because it means we can do this move to someplace warmer and because I was able to work from a hotel while waiting for the moving truck to arrive. Yesterday morning I worked from a local coffee shop while my husband got to sit at home waiting for the cable guy to hook up the internet connection. It’s really nice to have that kind of flexibility.
My routines are still out of whack though. The movers broke my desk, so I have computers on a folding table and TV tray–not exactly the most ergonomic setup, and I’m having trouble getting into a real groove with my work. I’d work on my laptop on the couch, but our wireless router died just after we arrived (91 days after we bought it. 90 day return policy, anyone?). We haven’t yet unpacked enough boxes to make space for doing Wii Fit, which had been part of my daily routine for several months. Even just being in a different time zone is throwing me off–my TV shows aren’t at the right times.
I admit that I’d gotten very comfortable in my routines at the old place. This is a big change, but in many ways I’m noticing the little differences more than the big ones. I’m craving a bit of those familiar old habits: working from my desk with everything set up just so, taking a mid-morning Wii Fit break, watching TV at lunch, stretching out on the couch with my laptop in the afternoon. I had a rhythm for how my day progressed, but I’m out of sync now.
This feeling of being out of sync is something I need to remember when I’m busy being the change agent at work. People do need some time to adjust to new rhythms, and some people may take longer to adjust than others. It’s not that changes don’t need to happen–we have so many things in our organization and the educational system as a whole that could be better–but we need to figure out how to make those changes while supporting people as they establish new routines. I tend to be impatient because I do feel a sense of urgency, but somehow I need to find a balance between pushing and supporting.
Image: ‘moving house‘
www.flickr.com/photos/45932381@N00/5955820
@Candace, welcome! I’m glad you found me. Only a dozen boxes sounds pretty good. We know we’re going to move again in a year (planning to buy our first house), so we’re hoping to be able to leave some things in boxes and live without them for a year. We’ll see how it goes!
What’s your degree going to be? A background in IT & education sounds like it could be a great fit for e-learning.
Hi Christy,
Congratulations on the move and getting settled. I moved a year ago and I think I’m down to maybe a dozen boxes left to sort through. I caught your url on AskLiz today. I’m finishing grad school in a few months and with a background in IT and education I’m embarking on a career in e-learning. I’m definitely looking forward to your archives!
@Karen, I’m expecting some culture shock too, although mostly it’s been OK. I’m in sort of an unusual area, where most people didn’t actually grow up here but moved from other parts of the country. I’ve never been someplace where everyone brags about the diversity so much; it’s very cool. I do need to be patient with myself as I adjust though. Thanks for that reminder.
@Cammy, you’re right that all the anxiety feeds into some of that sense of urgency. I’m feeling unsettled in my own life, so I’m not as understanding with changes elsewhere taking longer than I want.
Thanks for the kind words, both of you!
Aaah, yes. When there’s anxiety (settling into a new place, struggling to master something new), there’s so often that sense of urgency and impatience. Which can lead to even more imbalance. Forgive yourself and be kind to to yourself and it’ll all feel like old hat before you know it.
Congratulations on the move!
Christy,
I feel your pain. I recently relocated from Orlando to Arkansas. While I have been here 5 months, my husband just moved his business and we have been living together for about 4 weeks. Now, I should say we have been married about 2.5 years and I have been on a work location out of town for a year of that time. The adjustment has been huge, not just to living together again, but a different environment as well. I think you will find your routine will change to fit your new life. North Carolina is as different from Chicago as Arkansas is from Orlando…that culture shock was stunning at first. However, I continue to focus on why we made this particular move, a slower, more relaxed pace of life and we have that now.
You will start feeling more in sync when you have your place setup and start your new routine. Just try to be patient and open to all the new things that can become part of your new routine. Enjoy the new adventure!